Have you ever gone on a God Hunt? A God Hunt begins when you teach yourself to look for God’s hand at work in the everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:
My garden is a shade garden; I have patches of sunlight that move through the yard and garden depending upon the time of day. Consequently, I use a lot of white flowering plants, depend on leaf contrast for visual interest and have fallen in love with bright lime-green leaves that shout out from the ground when the shade, lovely and cool in its own way, gets too dense. There are lime-green leafed hostas in variegated stripes and sizes that pop their color from corners and flower beds all over the backyard.
This year I’ve had trouble finding the bright-green Marguerite Ipomoea plant—in other words, sweet potato vine, with its brilliant lime-green to bright yellow-green foliage. Two years ago, it seemed to be happy in the pots by the front door—not too much afternoon sun—and by the end of the summer, there were tumbling, twisting vines all over the front driveway, beautifully accenting the edge between the gravel and the garage garden.
Sweet Potato Vine
The lady in the gardening section of Menards, when I inquired, explained that there had been a sweet-potato-vine virus. They had not been able to acquire any Marguerite Ipomoea plants, “but not for a lack of trying.”
So when I ran across them—just a few left—at my favorite nursery, I bought five pots, planted them right away and have not neglected to water them. What is it that brings me such exquisite pleasure when I watch my lime-green sweet potato vines thriving by the front walk? They are a thing of beauty, certainly. Keats once wrote, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.”
Come fall, this vine will die, but the idea of a sweet potato vine, as created in the mind of the Creator and spread through the earth by tuber or seed, now sitting in pots by my front door, continually brings me to praise for the One who has formed such beauty into being.
I breathe thanks every time I pass down the brick walk. In my mind, the loveliness increases.
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.
I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.”
—Psalm 9:1-2
It may seem silly, but sweet potato vines bring me to thoughts of God.
I spy God!
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Award-winning author Karen Mains has long had an interest in spiritual formation and the obedient Christian walk. She has written about the God Hunt in her book by the same name, The God Hunt: The Delightful Chase and the Wonder of Being Found. A hardback copy can be ordered from Mainstay Ministries for $10.00 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. Contact Karen at info@mainstayministries.org and she will be happy to autograph a copy for you.
Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags, Africa bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. They are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
